LAMB SHANKS in a tomato sauce

Lamb Shanks

I cut the recipe in half and made it for my family and they wanted the recipe after eating it. This was their photo at the end of the dinner.  No meat left at all.
I extended cooking time, omitted fennel and will puree half of the cooked sauce and then add it back next time. Otherwise its the original recipe.

This is from the recipe on Food network but changed a little.

Mark Morais, owner of Giusti's in Walnut Grove, CA

Cook Time:    2 hr 15 min  (I roasted it 3 hours)  It was perfect.

4 servings

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Ingredients

Brine:

1 gallon water  1/2 cup sugar  1/2 cup salt

4 to 6 lamb shanks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Granulated garlic, to taste

All-purpose flour, to coat

2 to 3-ounces virgin olive oil

1 (96-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (Or a mix of whole tomatoes crushed)

2 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 bulb fresh fennel, chopped  (omitted for my taste)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup red wine

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

1/2 cup freshly chopped oregano leaves, plus sprigs for garnish Italian Cheese,for garnish.

Directions

For the brine:

Place the water, sugar, and salt into a large container. Carefully add the lamb shanks and soak for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove shanks from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic, to taste.

Coat shanks with flour and saute in 2 to 3-ounces of virgin olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side.

Place the shanks in a roasting pan with the crushed tomatoes.

In same saute pan that the shanks were seared in, saute the carrots, celery stalks, onion, fresh fennel and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add to the roasting pan.

Deglaze saute pan with 1 cup each red wine and orange juice. Reduce by half and add to roasting pan.

Add 1/2 cup each fresh Italian parsley and fresh oregano to roasting pan.

Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours or until tender. After 1 hour, turn shanks

and cover for remaining time, making sure shanks are covered in the gravy.

Remove shanks.  

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My change is: 

Remove half of the sauce which is chunky and puree. Add this puree back to the rest of the sauce.  Replace shanks in pan and serve.

Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs and parsley and your favorite Italian cheese.

Best served with polenta!.